Shock needed - '89 XT600E in Thailand
 

Rear shock going, going, now about gone (blown) after 90,000-100,000 k's. I am in Chaing Mai, Thailand, where my local experts suggest there is little hope in breathing life into the old shock (rebuilding). So, any suggestions of getting one here in Thailand? I can pull the old one out and take it to Red Baron (bike breakers) in Bangkok and see if they have anything similar. Anybody know what other bikes used the same rear shock? Any idea what a new stock one costs? Import costs on new parts here might make that option cost prohibitive?
My Tenere has both electric and kick starter (a b**** to use!)
Dr. G

the better thing will be if you can find an ohlins from a yamaha TTS, can be easily adapted, can be rebuild infinitely. On shock body (top) you find the code YA2201. Price range around 300 Euro.

otherwise you can mount any tenere'\XT shock, and all XT600E shocks (you said your is electric starter). The only problem being you will probably find them enough old...

Short term fix, if the breakers have a shock with the correct ends that is the same length use your spring. You may get away with a slightly longer shock body.
Which way are you heading should find something in Singapore.

A suspension expert in Singapore.
David Ong. 12, Braddell Road. Tel: 62803138

Let us know how you get on I always like a happy ending.

Steve

Ohlins - not again
 

While you are right that the Ohlins can be rebuilt indefinately, the last one I had anything to do with was cost prohibitive to rebuild. Ohlins (CA) advised that it would be less expensive to buy a new Ohlins than rebuild the old one.
The stock one on my Tenere logged some long hard miles and I suspect a new OEM Yamaha one would be less expensive than a new Ohlins. Both, if imported, could cost me the price of a motorcycle here. Still looking for a crossover, possibly for a car?

Here in ITLY there are plenty of authorized dealers, and a service/rebuild is between 100 and 150 euro, including new oil and gaskets. May be service can be expensive in a country with only one dealer... anyway a NEW ohlins is always between 500 and 1000 euro depending from model.
A second hand ohlins shock for our bikes can go from 200 to 300, but are very rare. Sure, if you have one and broke something like piston\spring\tube maybe convenient to get a good second hand... if you are lucky enough to find one ;-)
I have one on my XT600E and one ready to be mounted on my TT350. From summer 2007, I saw maybe 10 times an auction on ebay for these pieces (TTS model, YA2201), many of them ending over 250 euros.

But ohlins is a top product, lasts a long time, and is enginered to be serviced, many other shocks must be modified and a service is always something empirical.

First off go to Tony's big bikes in CM and ask him, if he can't get you one ask if you can use his place to ship it to. Then you can rent a ride off him while you wait, great bloke taught me how to ride by letting me ride up and down outside his shop of 30 mintues on one of his Yammies. LMAO

Secondly Dr. Gregory W. Frazier I just read your book (Motorcycle Touring) whilst staying in my tent it was very wet yesterday a very enjoyable read, Mum sent it over for a laugh whith my new bike spares but some sage advice in there. So thank you :)

TDM maybe? Ohlins. Big Bike gone. My book..
 

Someone has suggested a TDM rear shock as a replacement? Anybody tried this? I've a line on one of those here in Chiang Mai.
I've got 2 Ohlins on my HPN, and honestly, for the price, I would not replace them with the same. They are a fine product, very high quality, but for what I do with these bikes I am pretty sure I'd not notice the difference between them and another brand at a lessor cost. They sure look nice though.
Tony's Bike Bike is gone, where I do not know. They used to be located at the end of the moat, but between last spring and now (I live here 6 months a year, use Chaing Mai as a base for wandering around SE Asia in the winter) the shop closed. Joe's Bike Team shop is still the best for us overlander/travelers for a lot of this old stuff. He wont work on any of the new stuff (like "computer managed" adventure bikes) but has kept my '88 and '89 rolling in a land where parts for them are rare.
Juddadredd, thanks for the feedback on my book, MOTORCYCLE TOURING: EVERYTHING YOU NEED TO KNOW. The publisher told a newspaper reporter that was doing a piece on me that it has sold enough to become the best selling book on the subject ever published. I should read it again, take some of my own advice on suspension systems :-) Glad you enjoyed it. You may have also noticed numerous pictures from around Chaing Mai, maybe even my ladyfriend on the Tenere.
BTW, anybody got a part number for the stock '89 XT600E rear shock?
TIA

code
 

really not sure what kind of xt you have... the first XT600E are from 1990, serial code 3TB.

The shock is 3TB-22210-00-33 SHOCK ABSORBER ASSEMBLY,

you can download full file here http://www.xt600.de/xt_werkstatt/%2B...-600-3tb-2.pdf

if you have a 1989 (shock has a knob for return speed) see here Yamaha Motorcycle Parts for XT600W 1989, OEM and Aftermarket at BikeBandit.com

89 Tenere or ?
 

That sure looks like my shock. The twist is my Vin/Serial number starts with 3DS-000***. It is a Tenere, has an 18 inch rear wheel, and no "twist adjustment " on the top of the shock. This bike was made for import to CH only and we were told it was an '89. Has big tank and larger fairing. Maybe it is not an 1989?

Found Ohlins, maybe
 

Found a blown Ohlins while rooting through back room shop stuff in Chaing Mai bike shop that looks to be the right length, attached to the lower links with the same rubber boot as on my Tenere. The number on the top of the Ohlins is YA4530 V - 747. Anyone know if this will fit? The plan is to pull out the original, check to see if they are the same length, then have the Ohlins rebuilt here in Thailand versus having the Yamaha shock rebuilt. In the meantime, Iwill take the original down to Red Baron and see if I can find a dry (non-leaking) one in their pile. If the Ohlins is "rebuildable" there are places here that rebuild shocks, so they should be able to do it. Sending it out to Singapore or out of country, then back in, may be cost prohibitive. I know I said no more Ohlins but will gladly eat my words as this one was nearly free, even though it is blown.
Ahhh, the third world.

ok now it's more clear
 

If you have both kick and electric it's the equivalent of 1VJ model. without kickstarter it's 3AJ. You find a short description here (probably already know it)
Kleine XT 600 - Typenkunde

Anyway shock sizes for both should be the one described in 43F column of attached table. So if the ohlins you found is inside the range of these sizes is ok.
SIzes that matter for you are:

eye-eye (center) must be less than 40 and more than 38
the other two things are upper and lower diameter, yours being 12 upper and 14 lower and the width, that must be 35 or a size adaptable to this (grrrrrinding).

Keep present that if the shock rebuilder has no spareparts for the ohlins (oring-gaskets) you can easily find a mainteinance center in a country nearby and have these parts delivered, as they are light.

Dr Greg,

Ebay £150 not too bad.

Find YAMAHA XT600E Betor Shock Absorber on eBay within, Amortiguadores, suspensiones, Motos accesorios y recambios, Coches, Motos y Recambios (end time 28-Nov-07 19:12:47 GMT)

The chaps in Spain, but I checked out the specs for you and it seem like a good fit.


And if you manage to go to Phuket, stop by and say Hi to John Hamilton for me, his in the book.

Warmest regards

Lee

Thanks guys! This is interesting
 

Pretty neat, this is more than I've learned about this bike than I have had to in 5 years. From the pics I can see it is shown as a XT600Z. While I was told it was for Swiss import only (maybe that is the E), it clearly is Z, which will make hunting parts a lot easier.
I'll pull the blown one out next week after I find a place to leave the bike for the two weeks I'll be gone on another bike and match the two up, or get a grinder to work.
The number "3AJ" did show up somewhere else on the bike, the first three letters on the CDI.
Thanks again!

Ohlins wrote....
 

I emailed Ohlins re: the shock I found in the dead parts bin. Here is the answer I got back:
Hello Gregory,

YA 453 will fit XT 600 Z Tenere from 1984 to 1990.

Best Regards
Lars Isaksson
Öhlins Racing AB
Marketing & Sales
Office: Instrumentvägen 8-10
Mail: Box 722
S-194 27 Upplands Väsby
Sweden
Tel: +46 (0)8 5900 2500

So I am sending the shock off to the local Thai rebuilder. I'll drop by the nearby temple on the way, make a small donation for Buddha....

happy end
 

:D:clap: that's another good thing about ohlins... they have good support!

So asking for support usually gives results quickly... happy to hear that everything is solved